


dumbass (i love you)

by FragileKids



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Suki (Avatar), Bisexual Zuko (Avatar), Dirty Talk, F/M, Falling In Love, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Vaginal Sex, i made jet a dick even though i dont hate him, its cute, not between the main 3, they live together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:49:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27674948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FragileKids/pseuds/FragileKids
Summary: “Six years of friendship, and she never thought to question,” her traitorous boyfriend shook his head. “Who knew Suki was so close minded?”She followed Zuko’s example and leaned over to kick him. Sokka sputtered indignantly.
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Suki/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 187
Collections: A:tla, Koi’s atla fic recs





	dumbass (i love you)

“Yeah and then we went back to her place to, you know –“

“Wait.”

Suki was sitting on the sofa with Zuko’s hair in her hands, which she was currently trying (and failing. Despite being the best at most things, Suki couldn’t braid) to make sense of, while he sat on the floor with his head resting on her knees. They were watching some shitty reality TV show and talking about Zuko’s (apparent) love life.

Zuko arched his back at her interruption, trying to see more of her. She tapped his head lightly. “You look dumb like that.”

“You always look dumb,” he harrumphed slightly, moving back to his former position. Suki resumed her hands pulling through his hair.

“That’s not true and you know it.”

“You said ‘wait?’” Zuko prompted.

“I… genuinely thought you were gay,” Suki admitted. She could feel his eyebrows rise, and he craned his head sideways this time to look at her.

“I literally dated Mai. For several years,” he deadpanned.

“I thought that was, you know,” she gestured aimlessly, slightly defensive, “a finding yourself thing? You’ve only dated guys since then. And you were sixteen.”

He considered this for a moment, and once more returned to his position.

“I’m more into guys,” he shrugged.

“So, you went back to her house?” She asked suggestively. “And then what?”. She saw his neck go slightly red behind where her hands were carding through her hair.

“Hola amigos!”

They both looked up as her boyfriend came crashing through their door, shopping bags in hand.

“Sokka,” Suki began as said boyfriend gave her a kiss on the cheek and made his way to the kitchen area of their living room to dump his bags. “Did you know that Zuko is bisexual?”

“Uh, yeah?” he came back to where they were sitting in a flurry of movement and plonked himself onto the only chair in their apartment apart from the sofa, not paying mind to his girlfriend tenderly brushing her hands through his best friend’s hair. He was awesome like that. “He dated Mai for like, two years.”

“That’s what I said!”

“How did I not know this?” Suki questioned. “Do I really not pay attention to you? Am I a bad friend?”

“Yes,” Sokka replied cheerfully. “I am now officially Zuko’s best friend.”

Zuko leaned over to squat him on the thigh from his position on the floor. “Aang is my best friend.”

Before Sokka could refute that statement, Zuko carried on, “I’m pretty sure Mai thought I was gay too, she probably talked to you about it at one point and you just assumed.”

“Six years of friendship, and she never thought to question,” her traitorous boyfriend shook his head. “Who knew Suki was so close minded?”

She followed Zuko’s example and leaned over to kick him. Sokka sputtered indignantly.

\----

\----

“I can’t believe Katara and Aang missed our super special Saturdays,” Sokka grumbled beside her, not for the first time this night complaining about the lack of his sister and friend. Since they had first began college, it had been tradition to do something with the six of them (Suki, Sokka, Katara, Aang, Toph and Zuko) every Saturday so that they didn’t forget to spend time with each other or in some cases (mostly Sokka’s) forget to have fun amidst their studying. Even though most of them had left college by now, they still tried to stick to the tradition. As Suki, Sokka and Zuko now shared an apartment, most of the nights were spent at theirs, but tonight there was a discount on their favorite bar (The Earth Kingdom) so they had planned to spend it there.

Except for some, who obviously had other, more important things to do. (Mainly each other).

“Aang wouldn’t be able to order anything, anyway,” Zuko offered. They were currently waiting to do said ordering, with Toph having gotten a table and sticking to it firmly.

“Neither can Toph, and that doesn’t stop her, clearly,” Suki noted. All three looked at where Toph was sitting, drinking profusely.

“How does she _do_ that?” Sokka said, amazed even after their knowledge of Toph’s impressive drinking skills being revealed pretty soon after they met.

“You would think that being blind would make her want to have _some_ kind of awareness at the end of the night,” Zuko imputed.

“I think hearing that would just make her drink even more,” Suki pointed out. They nodded in agreement.

“Fancy seeing you here,” a voice reached them through the pounding music. They turned in tandem in the direction of it. It was smug, and slightly familiar, and Suki tried to picture where she had heard it before, when –

“Jet?” Sokka’s startled voice sent back memories into Suki’s mind of Katara crying on her bedroom floor while Sokka patted her back, barely concealing his anger at the asshole who dumped her without any warning after his attempt at manipulation had failed, and then later on when Zuko didn’t talk to any of them for days after Jet’s attempt at emotional manipulation _hadn’t_ failed –

Speaking of, Zuko went completely still at the sight of his ex in front of him. Suki lowered her hand slightly to grasp at Zuko’s, who squeezed back forcefully.

“What are you doing here?” Zuko asked, voice wavering slightly. Suki hung on tighter to his hand and focused her energy on giving her most intimidating stare. Jet, being the asshole he was, was infuriatingly immune to her famous Suki glare (this often scared off the more abrasive creeps who tried to try it on with her), instead giving her a charming smile.

“What, do you own the bar? I was just popping in for a drink, saw you over here and thought hey, I better go say hello,” Suki wanted to point how unnecessary that was and thank you but they _really_ don’t want to say hello to Jet, especially because Sokka looked like he wanted to beat up small puppies every time someone so much as mentions his name, but she didn’t. Because she’s polite. And she had already been kicked out of this bar too many times.

He glanced Zuko up and down, before noticing their entwined hands. “But I see that this was a fruitless endeavor. Say, Koko, do you crush on all your friends, or just the domineering ones?”

 _Koko?_ If this was anyone else, Suki would tease him mercilessly about it. Unfortunately, this was Jet, so it just made him look even more like a dickhead.

Zuko took his hand out of hers and turned around, walking forcefully to the direction of Toph and her table. Suki looked longingly after him. If she didn’t think she would have to break up a fight when leaving Sokka with Jet, she would be after him in a heartbeat.

“Are you an asshole to everyone or is our group just special?” Sokka’s voice was sharp. He had hated Jet ever since they had first met (she knew because she was the one introducing them – long story) and it took a while, but he eventually got everyone to admit that yes, he was right all along, and yes, they did have a google document where people could rant about him whenever he crossed one of their paths. (it was… too many pages long).

“Hey, I only want to help.” Jet held up his hands in a mock surrender.

Suki scanned their horizons, wondering if one of her warriors was around who could come and unfortunately trip him up. (they were an all-girls martial arts group who regularly made lives difficult for men (or occasionally women) who couldn’t take no for an answer, or were just general dicks. Although Jet had never blatantly done anything without consent, he could pretty firmly be placed in the second category).

Jet turned his attention to her. “So, you’re Koko’s new lover, huh? I would have thought that you would be missing, ahem, certain body parts of that.”

Closing her eyes slightly at the thought of making the same assumption as _Jet_ , of all people, she was just about to correct his presumption that they were in a relationship (who says _lover_ , nowadays?) when –

“You know, if you ever want him to shut up,” – oh no – “just pull on his hair a little, that should –“

And okay, _no_ , they were not gonna stand here to listen to Zuko’s weirdo ex talk about him in bed. She and Sokka looked at each other and silently communicated that it was time to _go_. They put their back to Jet’s smug smirk and walked to were Toph and Zuko were both drinking heavily.

“And he has a _massive_ thing for praise, so if you ever need anything –“ he seemed to be taking pleasure in the disastrous conversation he had started.

“Shut up, Jet!” Sokka yelled over his shoulder, and they lost him in the crowd, hopefully forever, along with their potential refills.

\----

\----

Sokka was curious.

Okay, Sokka was always curious, but more than usual.

You see, he loved Suki. Truly, infinitely, always-and-forever kind of love. He wanted to marry her one day.

But at the same time, there was something – he wasn’t sure what yet but _something_ – he felt when it was just the three of them (Him, Suki and Zuko) in their house, getting drunk together and making each other laugh until they couldn’t breath or falling asleep on their living room floor, the three of their bodies tangled until he didn’t know which wrist he was kissing goodnight.

They were his best friends. Sure, he loved Aang, Toph and his sister to pieces, and Mai and Ty Lee were pretty cool too, but Suki and Zuko were his best friends. And he wanted the three of them to keep living in their little corner of the world forever.

So, he was curious.

Because sometimes he felt like he wanted Zuko to be more than his friend. He always knew that Zuko was like, really attractive, like nearly on the same level as Suki attractive (he still didn’t know how he had managed to get her to like him) but recently he _thought_ about it. Like when strands of his hair fell out of the bun entrapping them or when he grinned, and his eyes crinkled, and dimple showed.

And when Sokka is curious, as he had a degree (!) to prove, he does his research.

x

“I was using your laptop the other day.”

They were wrapped up in bed, with the light off and curtains shut. Zuko had a Friend over, so they had been instructed not to play one of their (legendary) 3 am games or jump on their bed as they played loud music (they had an awesome relationship).

“Hmm?” Sokka prompted innocently as he waited in anticipation for the conversation he had been waiting to happen for the last few days.

“Don’t ‘Hmm?’ me,” Suki snorted, moving them so that she was higher on the pillow and Sokka had to look up at her. “’How do poly relationships work?’ ‘How do I know I’m suited to poly relationships?’ I know you left the tabs open on purpose.”

“I might not have!” Sokka protested lightly. Suki put her nose into his loose hair, freed from their rat tail.

“Who did you have in mind?” she questioned.

This was the tricky bit – if he revealed the person and she didn’t feel the same way or wasn’t interested, it could make their relationship and friendship strained.

“So, you would consider it?” he focused on the positive.

“Sokka.” She nestled down so that they were looking into each other’s eyes. “Boy or girl?”

Slightly arrested by the gaze she held him in, he replied, “boy.”

She raised one perfect eyebrow. “Zuko?” she said innocently.

“Mm,” he answered in slight embarrassment. Here he was, all cards on the table. “You know I love you, right?”

She rolled her eyes (unfairly). “I would hope so.”

“Because I really do, like so much, like sometimes it overwhelms me, like wow –“

“Sokka.” She kissed him to shut him up. “You’re rambling.”

“Right.” And then: “How did you know it was Zuko?”

She kissed him again. “Well it’s not going to be Aang, and you’re not close enough to the guys we both know. And he’s… you know.” She looked vaguely uncomfortable. “Zuko,” she finished.

“Yeah.” They sat in a few moments silence.

“So does that mean…” he hesitated, trying to get on read on her even though she was turned away slightly from him.

“I…” her voice sounded uncharacteristically unsure. “I’m not…”

He waited patiently for her to finish.

Unfortunately, she had other ideas.

She turned back around and pushed him down on to the bed. He made an undignified yelp as he was manhandled, but all arguments died in his mouth when her hand trailed down his bare stomach.

“What got you thinking about this, anyway?” she looked curious for a moment, before reaching a conclusion when her hand reached its destination. “Jet?”

Sokka made another noise in his throat as her hand started moving over his cock through his sweatpants. “If you want to talk about Jet right now, this isn’t gonna work,” he answered instead of admitting that yes, the bar they went to about three weeks ago was when his minor obsession started, and yes, he did feel bad about the information he know possessed but had been tormenting him ever since.

She ignored him in favour of putting her hands down his pants which _okay_ , _that’s fine._ “I wonder if what he said was true, or if he was just provoking us,” she mused while she used her other hand that wasn’t ahem, _preoccupied_ , to fetch the lube they kept in their bedside drawer.

“ _Suki_ –”

“I mean, obviously he does take compliments badly,” she continued as she pulled his pants down. He eagerly moved to accommodate this change and was rewarded with her lathered hand moving up and down his dick. “And there was that whole time we had to convince him that he was actually attractive to many people –”

“Are you going to talk the whole time?” he gasped out.

“Yes.” Her movements got quicker, before she took her hand away and started getting herself undressed. “Why, are you scared he can hear?”

He blushed involuntarily as he thought of Zuko next door, with his new Friend, who had specifically told them they couldn’t be loud if they were going to have sex –

“I wonder what they’re doing right now,” she was now naked, and kneeled with her knees either side of him, her body hovering above his without touching. “whether he really does like his hair pulled –”

“ _Fuck_ , Suks, this feels –” wrong, or something. They shouldn’t be discussing what an ex told them about what Zuko likes –

Suki lowered herself so that she was riding his dick.

– but _Christ_ , was it hot.

She made a small noise of pleasure as Sokka rocked up into her, before gathering the composure to carry on. “I wonder if he’d want us to take care of him – to hold him down and –”

She was cut off as Sokka but his hand on her clit, moving his fingers skillfully and familiarly. “Yes?” he asked eagerly.

“And I would get my strap on –” oh, how they had fun with Suki’s beloved dispensable dick – “and I would fuck him –” they were moving faster now, Sokka jerking her off while she moved up and down.

“And?” he prompted.

“And at the same time, he would take you in his mouth –” Sokka made a slightly inhuman noise at the picture that conjured – “And then we would both fuck him, and he would take it so well –”

They were both close; the picture Suki had created was incredibly arousing for the both of them, as well as the knowledge that Zuko was just next door, possibly entertaining his Friend at this very minute, and the friction they were making was almost too much, and –

Suki came first, before riding the hell out of him until he came quickly after.

She laid back next to him, both of them panting as they came down from the high of their orgasms.

“Fuck,” he offered.

“Mm,” she agreed

As he felt the sleep grasping at him, he turned on his side to look at her before speaking. “I don’t just want that – I mean I, really, really want that – but I want more, as well,” he admitted, slightly nervously.

This is Suki, he reminded himself. She wouldn’t laugh or abandon him.

“I know,” she reassured him. She bit her lip, obviously tired too. “I think – I think I want that too.”

“You do?” he tried not to sound too elated.

“I love him, he’s my best friend. Perhaps – perhaps before we say anything to him we could. Wait for a bit?” Sokka kissed her in agreement.

Shit, he almost forgot about the most important part – Zuko had to be interested in both of them, enough to want a relationship. 

“Of course.” He glanced at the wall adjacent to Zuko’s room. “Do you think it’s even a possibility? That he likes either of us?”

“Hey, I didn’t even know he was into girls until a month ago,” Suki pointed out. Sokka laughed, remembering her indignation at the fact she didn’t know something basic about one of her closest friends.

“That’s right, I forgot you couldn’t read the guy who couldn’t hide a secret if he tried.”

“Shut up, shithead,” Suki kissed his nose, and they both settled down to sleep.

x

The morning after, they stumbled out to the smell of bacon and the sight of Zuko and his Friend (who was shirtless).

“Ooh, bacon,” Sokka rushed towards the kitchen area, where Zuko diligently served him some bacon and eggs (fried, of course).

“You seemed to be having a good time last night,” Zuko’s-Friend laughed loudly at his own statement, not noticing Sokka and Suki freeze (Suki minutely and for a second, Sokka with bacon held half way on the route to his mouth).

“Haha, what did you hear?” Sokka questioned nervously. Suki came to sit down next to him on the bench and he sent an alarmed glance her way.

“We didn’t hear anything, he’s teasing you,” Zuko smiled at his Friend while tending to the rest of the bacon, oblivious to the relieved expressions of Sokka and Suki. “Come on, Jiro, eat your bacon.”

“Yes, mum,” Zuko’s-Friend (Jiro, apparently) replied cheekily, earning a whack with the kitchen towel.

Sokka ignored the strange pang in his stomach he hadn’t felt since he’d gotten with Suki and focused on eating his bacon.

\----

\----

“Are you both dressed?”

Suki opened her eyes blearily at the light shining into their bedroom from the open door.

“Yeah, Zuko,” Sokka’s spoke softly, as she registered the wavering quality to Zuko’s otherwise harsh voice, the one he used when he wanted to cry but wouldn’t allow himself to.

She pushed herself up the bed before Zuko stepped inside the room, shut the door behind him and crawled across the covers, burying his head into her shoulder, ankle curling around Sokka’s, who quickly put his arm around him.

“What happened?” she tried to not to make it sound like a demand. Zuko didn’t come into their bed for no reason – the last time it happened, the news of his dad dying had just come out – and she wanted, no she _needed_ , to know what happened.

There was a pregnant pause where she looked up to Sokka, who’s expression showed the same desire, before Zuko started talking quietly from where his face was pressed into her shoulder.

“I was at Jiro’s.” as they waited for him to continue, Suki couldn’t help her mind trying to figure out what was wrong. Zuko had been seeing Jiro for around two months on and off, although he insisted they weren’t dating, or anything. Suki thinks if they were, Sokka would have exploded out of silent (at least, to the rest of his friends) jealousy. “He – I asked to meet up, so I went over to his house. I wanted – I didn’t want to see him. anymore,” he cut off, so she started rubbing circles on his back, trying not to think of the worst.

“I told him that I wanted us – whatever us was – to end. But he – he said that he was ready to have sex tonight, that I was giving him blue balls or whatever. And then I said, well tough luck, I don’t want to do anything with him tonight or in the future. Then he calmed down and asked if we could be friends. And I was like sure, even if I didn’t really want to be. So then he asked if we could watch a movie, and me being the _stupid_ idiot I am –“

“Zuko –” Sokka protested.

“No, no I am. I agreed. And then we were on the sofa, watching star wars of all things, and that’s. That’s when he started to – you know, feel me up,”

Sokka took a breath. Suki stopped breathing.

“So I tried to push him off, but I met him at the gym and he’s really strong –” he sounded like he was still trying to convince Suki and Sokka or himself “– and he held me down,” his voice was rough, as if it physically hurt him to say it. Suki could see Sokka squeeze his arm reassuringly. Suki could feel herself trembling.

“He didn’t – do anything, really,” Suki let out a breath. “He just kissed me, for a while. And then he tried to reach for my belt, but then I kind of got out of my shock, and a punched him really hard,” he admitted. “And then I just ran out of there and kept running until I reached home.”

They were quiet for a while as Suki, for one, tried to stop a murderous rage coming over her.

“Zuko,” she began. “You – for one, this wasn’t your fault.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Good. Second, you need to tell the police.”

At this he pushed himself up so he was kneeling on the bed, a look of frustration on his face.

“I can’t,” he muttered. “I can’t,” he carried on, seeing the look on their faces, “because Jiro’s dad is the head of the local police, or whatever they’re called,” he laughed bitterly as Sokka swore. “He used to joke about how he could get away with anything short of murder.”

“Fuck, Zuko,” Sokka said, his voice cracking with tiredness or sadness. “That’s so messed up.”

“Yeah, well.” He moved to rest his head on Suki’s breast, wrapping an arm around her. “I just want to go to sleep, now.” When no-one spoke, he added, “please.”

“Of course,” Suki reassured him, and watched as his eyes fluttered shut, and breath evened out.

“I’m going to kill him,” Sokka’s voice lost the soft edge he had used with Zuko, all cold, and filled with anger.

“Don’t,” he looked up at her, surprised she wouldn’t encourage him. “I’ll get the Warriors together,” she explained. His expression turned satisfied. The Warriors were notorious.

“No,” came a voice from her chest. They both looked down at the thought-sleeping boy, who still had his eyes closed. “Don’t – please don’t do anything to him.”

“Zuko –”

“I’ll get Uncle to talk to the police, or something. Go to a different faction. Don’t want you to get incriminated.”

Before Suki could retort that he shouldn’t doubt her skills in stealth and ass-kicking, he rolled over to rest against Sokka instead, who wrapped him up in his arms and looked as if a great responsibility had fallen to him and he wouldn’t let anything harm him (even if they both knew Zuko could take care of himself perfectly well). She let the thoughts of violence and retribution leave her mind as she looked at her boys, threw one arm over both of them, and settled down to fall back to sleep.

\----

\----

“Suki.”

Said Suki glanced up as Zuko stormed into the apartment while she was doing her evening stretches (an activity which the three of them used to do before Sokka formed a revolt against her. He now refuses to be in the same room while the two of them stretch, it brings back memories). His face was tinted with red, either from the excursion used when walking up their stairs or by the evidently anger he was feeling.

Judging by his tone, Sokka had a pretty good idea which one it was.

“Zuko,” despite being in a position that looked like it shouldn’t be humanly possible, Suki’s reply was cool and measured. It was also in her ‘I’ve made a decision and I’m not going to change my mind’ voice.

This wasn’t going to go well.

“Suki!” he came over and pushed, causing her to huff and untangle herself.

“What?” She demanded, annoyed.

“Did,” he started, then looking at Sokka like he only just noticed he was here. Sokka made his best ‘who, me?’ expression, which must have worked because Zuko shook his head and turned back to Suki, who was trying her best to look disinterested in the situation, which wasn’t fooling anyone. “Did I or did I not, specifically, tell you _not_ to tell your warriors to go beat up Jiro for me?”

Oh shit.

He looked at Suki, who was now wearing her ‘oh shit, I’ve been caught’ face (he was very good at reading Suki’s faces. It’s how he knows when he’s fucked up or not).

She hadn’t told him about this. After the night Zuko came into their room, they’d tried to be extra nice to him while not treating him differently at all (which was quite difficult) to make up for the fact that he had banned them from taking any further action.

“You did,” Suki answered after a few moments pause, looking up at him in defiance. “But I thought –“

“What you thought, doesn’t matter,” Sokka also knows Zuko’s faces: this was his ‘I actually cant believe you would do this’ one. It was often used to a lesser extent for many of Sokka’s shenanigans. “I _specifically_ told you to not take any further action, I don’t need you to _protect_ me –“

“We didn’t do it to protect you!” She stood up. Sokka watched from where he was sitting on the couch (mario kart abandoned) as they stood face to face. They were the pretty much the same height, but Zuko was trying his best to loom over her (it wasn’t working). He wondered vaguely if he should intervene at some point. A fight between Zuko and Suki wouldn’t look pretty, and Sokka wasn’t entirely sure who would win (Suki would; Zuko didn’t have his swords). “That asshole had it coming – he needed to learn a lesson, and we taught him one!”

“You didn’t teach him shit! He needed _fourteen_ stitches, Suki!”

“He _deserved_ it!”

“I _told_ you not to do anything, what if they track it back to you? Or Ty Lee? Or Eiko?” Zuko demanded, advancing on her.

Okay, he should probably intervene.

Not because he seriously thought they would fight each other – neither of them would seriously try to hurt the other, especially outside of sparring – but words could be as painful as actions, and with Suki and Zuko, they could both get nasty.

“Woah, guys, how about we just –“

“And you!” Zuko exclaimed, whirling around to face him with a finger in his face. “How could you let this happen?”

“Hey there, I don’t “let” Suki do anything, and I didn’t know anything about this!” he defended himself.

“Yeah, right,” Zuko waved his hand dismissively. “You tell each other everything.”

“He didn’t know anything about this.”

“Thank you, Suki –“

“Don’t _defend_ her!”

“I’m not? I was just –“

“This is stupid anyway Zu, you _know_ that I would never –“

“Never what? Break your trust? Lie to me?”

“I never lied!”

“You lied by omission, and you know it!”

“So boohoo, Mr. McDouceface got a couple scars, I really don’t see what the big deal is.” Suki said stubbornly.

Zuko stared at her. “You’re really not going to admit you did anything wrong?”

“No.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

“Guys?” they both turned to Sokka before it came clear that he didn’t actually have anything to say, and then Zuko turned around and walked out.

x

“Pizza!” He exclaimed as Suki walked through the door. It was Monday night, which was pizza night every other week (it used to be every week, but then they had to have an intervention when it was discovered around 15% of their income went on food). Him and Zuko were both sat on the floor playing uno (Zuko was the only one he could play with; he had no rules set by his house as he had never played it before meeting him, and when he played with Katara the night ended in blood and tears) and Suki walked to them with a massive pizza for them to share (ham and pineapple on pizza, this was one of the major factors of them deciding to live together).

Well that was the plan – as soon as Suki walked into their direction, Zuko got up and promptly left to his room.

They looked at each other. “He’s still not talking to you?”

“Not since Friday,” she confirmed, handing the goods to Sokka so she could plop her bags down. He walked over to the kitchen bench, moving the general shit they kept their and opened the cardboard up, breathing in the cheesy smells.

“Well, you could, you know,” he started as Suki sat next to him and began digging in. “Apologize to him?”

“I haven’t done anything wrong.” she answered, around a mouthful of pizza.

“That’s not true and you know it. If you just apologize to him, then you could –”

“Why are you taking his side?”

He stared at her. “Suki, if you weren’t so stubborn, then you could just –”

“Well maybe if you could stop thinking with your brain downstairs for one second –”

“You know what, I don’t want to do this.” He gathered some slices onto his plate and picked it up. “When you aren’t so busy nursing your pride, come find me.” He headed to his room.

x

The door opened.

“Sokka?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hmm.” He rolled over to see Suki’s face, which was slightly red around the eyes. “it’s okay.”

She got into bed. “I need to apologize to Zuko, don’t I?” she sounded miserable.

“Yeah,” he kissed her on the forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

x

The next day, he saw her walk into Zuko’s room. He strained his ears slightly to listen from where he was sitting in the living room.

“Zuko.”

She got a grunt in response. Sokka winced in sympathy. Zuko was being childish – Sokka had tried to talk to him about it – but he was just as stubborn as she was.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I know that I went against your wishes, and it was wrong. I should have listened to you, and thought about how it would affect the warriors,” the ‘even though they chose to do it’ went unsaid, but Sokka heard it.

There was a pause, before an “It’s alright,” was mumbled out.

Sokka let out a sigh of relief.

x

“So, is he talking to you now?” They were sat on a bench in a park outside of Sokka’s work, eating sushi. Suki had come to pick him up, except they didn’t have a car (or know how to drive), so she just came to walk him home sometimes.

She was awesome like that (and she wanted the exercise).

“Yeah, I mean, he is,” she thought for a bit before carrying on. Sokka kicked a stone. “But it’s not – somethings changed. He doesn’t joke about with me, or tease me, or react to me,” her voice betrayed the frustration and hurt she was feeling. She turned to look at him. “I think I really fucked up.”

“Oh, Suki,” He sighed as he put his arm around her, letting her rest miserably on his shoulder.

x

“Dude, what’s your problem?”

Zuko looked up from where he was idly coloring in his latest drawing. Sokka wanted to compliment it, but unfortunately, he was determined to get his best friends and crushes to make up.

“What?” his stupid-adorable nose scrunched up in confusion. Dumbass.

“I know she fucked up, and she knows she fucked up, but in her defense she has apologized, and she did it for you. And that dude was a jerk,” he added.

Zuko stiffened. “I know. I’ve forgiven her.”

“So then why do still seem to be holding it against her?” He sighed dramatically, exasperated. He plonked himself down on Zuko’s bed and stared at him expectantly.

“I’m not!” he exclaimed. “I’ve just been really busy lately.” He gestured to his work.

“Riiiight.”

“look, Sokka, I have to meet Azula in a few minutes, so if that was all you had to say, then –”

“No, right, I understand,” he held his hands up before standing back up. As he was leaving the room he placed his hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “She misses you.” He admitted.

Zuko looked down. “Sokka –”

“Right, right, leaving.”

x

Sokka looked at his phone and frowned. He glanced at Suki who was waiting to go into the building, blowing a bubble.

“He blew us off.”

“Huh.” The bubble popped. She picked it off her face (she could even make that attractive, but now wasn’t the time) and leaned over his shoulder.

“He’s being doing that a lot lately. He just – doesn’t seem to want to spend time with us anymore,” _even me_ , he didn’t say.

“He’ll come around,” she said firmly, but Sokka wasn’t so sure. They’d been saying that for the last two months.

“Yeah,” he said dejectedly, and they made their way to meet the others to do some bowling.

\----

\----

Zuko was a mess.

He had, admittedly, a tendency to be rather codependent on others. And for a long time, Sokka and Suki had gotten the brunt of that, as he was living with them and all. After his self-induced space-giving spell – for which he had been called a dumbass several times by both Toph and Mai (both scary people who made an even scarier team up, even with one of them half way across the globe) – his emotional support had fallen to Uncle to deal with. Although said Uncle was extremely skilled in dealing with all things Zuko, he had a business to take care of, as well as a niece to reconnect and deal with.

So Zuko was a mess.

Sokka and Suki, who were sat in front of him, clearly could see this, judging by the looks they were giving him.

Which, _unfair_. It was their fault he was a mess in the first place. Granted, this was neither of their faults, but still.

“So…” Sokka prompted, after they had spent a good amount of time looking at each other.

“So,” Zuko took a breath in preparation. He looked at them both. “I think I should move out.”

“WHAT?!”

Apparently Zuko had not gaged their reactions properly. He was prepared for disagreements, arguments, and then at the end they would agree that yes, this was the right thing to do.

He wasn’t expecting tears.

“B-but you can’t!” Sokka wiped his tear away frantically.

“We’re getting old now,” he carried on, determined to get this over with.

“We’re twenty-three!”

“Exactly, and you have been together for five years. I just think that it’s time that –”

“Zuko,” Suki spoke. They both turned to her. “Why are you doing this?”

Her voice was what got him. it was full of pain, and hurt, and god _damnit_ he didn’t want this.

“Because,” he closed his eyes to regroup himself. “you are reaching a point in your relationship –”

“Christ, Zuko!” Sokka jumped up to put his hands on Zuko’s shoulders. “You’re our best friend! We love living with you!” Suki nodded in agreement. “You’ve been,” his voice cracked minutely, “Distant. Recently.” He looked at Suki for support, and then back to Zuko. “What is the real issue, here, Zuko? is it us?” he sounded so sad.

“No!” Zuko insisted. “I just thought that you would –”

“Bullshit! Tell us why you want to leave!”

“I don’t! I just –”

“What!”

“I’m jealous!”

The room went silent. He brought a hand to scratch the back of his neck, not looking at either of them. Suki stood up.

“You’re.. jealous?” Suki questioned. He didn’t answer. “Of… me?” She guessed.

Before he could answer she continued. “Zuko,” she hesitated slightly before carrying on. “Are you in love with Sokka?”

The room was quiet again.

“No!” he said, and then cringed, because that wasn’t exactly _true_ , was it? “Well, yes,” he admitted because fuck it, he’s already leaving, might as well have the cat out of the bag.

They both took in a simultaneous breath which would be funny if not for the circumstance.

“But…” they didn’t interrupt him for once, waiting for him to answer. “It’s not – look, when we started college and me and Mai broke up, I thought I was gay and had a crush on Sokka,” holy fuck he can’t believe this is coming out now, “and I was okay with that. I thought, well, it could be a worse person for it to be on, and I just thought it would go away. Except – it didn’t. and then he started going out with you, Suki, and at first I thought I was jealous, but then I realized that maybe I wasn’t as gay as I thought because wow, I had a crush on you as well. And then that was my life, the two people I was in love with were in love with each other.

I’m still jealous, because whenever we get drunk or have games night and you get to go bed together and just think wow, I could just join you.” He admitted, chuckling nervously. He was pretty sure he was shaking. “So I have to move out, because otherwise I think I’ll never get over either of you, and I will just always be your loser friend who you can’t get rid of –” he cut off, because Suki was standing right in front of him.

Very in front of him.

“Uh.” He said intelligently, not daring to look at Sokka.

“You’re a dumbass,” she said affectionately, and wow he really got called a dumbass as a term of endearment by too many of his friends and that really didn’t matter right now because she was holding his face between her hands and leaning in and –

They were kissing.

It was – well, it was warm and wet and slightly fierce, as if she was trying to prove something.

It was Suki and he was kissing back for all his worth, because this might be the only time he got to do this.

They moved together, tongues entwining and exploring and just a bit of teeth, and it was perfect.

When she broke away, her face was slightly red and her lips were still wet.

She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Before he could ask just _what the fuck was that_ , Sokka reached for his waist and pulled him into his direction. Zuko gave a manly squeak before –

Sokka kissed a gentleness he hadn’t expected, like Zuko was the most special person in the world. The kiss built up between them, and Suki had moved so she was kissing his neck, and it was perfect.

He made a noise, and they broke apart. “Zuko,” Sokka breathed, looking at him like he was something to be cherished.

“I –” he tried. “What –”

“We love you.” Suki answered for him. he turned around to face her.

“You –” he looked between them, just to make sure this wasn’t a joke. But he was good at reading them, and they both looked honest and open. In fact, they were both looking at him with expressions he recognized from when they looked at each other after an especially soppy moment. “Really?”

“I think we kissed the sense out of him,” Sokka laughed a laugh that oozed sexuality, and it went straight to Zuko’s dick.

“Hmm,” Suki turned his head in her direction. “I reckon we can do that a bit more.”

“I would be okay with that,” he replied eagerly. Suki laughed and brought their lips together once more.

x

A few make outs, heartfelt conversations and laughter later, they were on the coach, and Zuko started crying.

(because he was, after all, a mess).

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Suki frowned after noticing this new predicament. Sokka stopped from where he was kissing Zuko’s neck.

“I’m sorry, this is just,” he laughed a little, “Overwhelming,” he admitted.

They looked at each other. “We don’t have to do anything tonight. Or ever,” Sokka added, so sincere he made Zuko smile.

“Trust me, I really, really want to do things. Lots of things,” he blurted out honestly, making them chuckle.

“But today?” Suki prompted.

He looked at the both of them, his best friends, who he had for so long written off since he was 19 and dumb and in love as an impossibility. The catalysts of two sexuality realizations, who seen him at his lowest, at his highest, who had sat with him when he was going through all the trauma that comes with him, and managed to make him smile regardless.

“Can we just… sleep together?” he cringed again at his word choice. “I mean literally.”

“Of course,” Sokka replied. And then picked him up to take him to bed. Suki laughed as Sokka rushed off to their bedroom, running after them. 

“Sokka!” he cried in protest, but quickly joined them in childish giggles, before realising that he needed his pajamas from his own room anyway. 

(He wore Sokka's. He wasn't mad about it)

x

As they laid together, limbs tangled with Zuko in the middle, slightly overheated, he murmured, “I love you.”

And Sokka replied, “I love you.”

And Suki replied, with an air of finality, “I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> wow an actual finished fic thats longer than 3k long? wild  
> thank you for reading!! this took a while but i actually really enjoyed writing it. if there are any mistakes please let me knoww  
> kudos/comments would be greatly appreciated!! xxx


End file.
